SI's Donovan Grades the Hot Stove, My Astros Preview

MetsDaily.com: Check out my Astros preview
I've written a preview of the Houston Astros for MetsDaily.com's NL team previews. If you get the chance please check it out. I also wrote one on the Atlanta Braves that was posted a couple of weeks ago.

Sports Illustrated: NL Hot Stove Grades
John Donovan hands out hot stove grades for NL teams, and he was a little kinder to the Mets than SI's Alex Belth and Richard Deitsch were yesterday:

Moving in/moving out: No NL team benefited more from the Marlins' selloff than the Mets, who traded for first baseman Carlos Delgado and catcher Paul Lo Duca, both of them All-Stars who plug gaping holes. Mets GM Omar Minaya also landed the closer he needed, signing free-agent lefty Billy Wagner (four years, $43 million), cleared some salary by trading right fielder Mike Cameron to the Padres for new right fielder Xavier Nady, and signed solid bench players in Julio Franco and Jose Valentin. A late trade sending surprisingly good starter Jae Seo to the Dodgers in exchange for righty relievers Duaner Sanchez and Steve Schmoll added depth to the bullpen.

Lowdown: Minaya didn't get Manny Ramirez after all that talking, but that is about the only significant player the Mets wanted who wasn't lured to Queens. With a blockbuster offseason, every part of this team is better, with the possible exception of the starting pitching depth now that Seo is gone. The shortcomings at catcher and first base have been filled wonderfully, the bullpen problems are addressed and the bench is better. If the Mets stay relatively healthy and their creaky rotation doesn't fall apart, the Braves will face their toughest test in more than a decade.

GRADE: Money and good trades pay off -- A.

Hmmm -- that sounded remarkably like an unbiased look at the Mets' off-season moves. At some point between now and spring training I will look at everything that Omar has done in more detail, but it was nice to finally read something even-handed about it -- especially after Fox Sport's Dayne Perry handed the Mets a "C+" for the same moves, while giving Atlanta and the Phillies a "C". I thought that rating the Mets' off-season only marginally better than those teams' was somewhat extreme. Those that read this blog regularly know that I don't agree with everything Omar has done, but some of the criticism he has been subjected to is just ridiculous.

FYI -- for the competition, the Braves and Phillies merited a "C", while the Nationals got a "D". The "D" seemed a little harsh for a team that still lacks an owner. If anything, I'd give MLB an "F" for the Nats' off-season.